First Test: Joe Root closing in on century as England score 235-5 at tea, lead India by 140 runs

By PTI

NOTTINGHAM: Joe Root continued to defy the Indian attack and extended England’s lead to 140 runs at tea on day four of the first Test here on Friday.

Resuming the session at 119 for two, England scored at a brisk pace to add another 116 runs to reach 235 for five in their second innings.

England skipper Root (96 batting off 138) had the company of Jos Buttler (15 batting off 20) at the break.

India got three wickets in the session, a well set Dom Sibley (28 off 133), Jonny Bairstow (30 off 50) and Dan Lawrence (25 off 32) who missed a straight ball off Shardul Thakur.

While Root looked in total control at the other end, all three batsmen failed to capitalise on promising starts.

After doing all the hardwork, Sibley went for a drive away from his body only to inside edge it to Rishabh Pant off Jasprit Bumrah, ending the 89-run stand with his skipper.

Root was then joined by Bairstow and the two shared a 42-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

After hitting some crisp boundaries, Bairstow got a half tracker from Siraj that he pulled it from the middle of the bat but unfortunately for him, it went straight to the safe hands of Ravindra Jadeja at deep square leg.

Lawrence, who is struggling for runs like the majority of the England batting line up, also showed fine form before Thakur got him plumb in front.

Onus will be on Root, who is nearing his 21st Test hundred, to take England’s lead past 200 in the evening session.

With conditions remaining tricky for the batsmen, any target in excess of 200 will be a challenging one for India.

In the morning session, England erased the 95-run first innings deficit to enjoy a slender 24-run lead with bright sunshine baking the pitch and making strokeplay easier than the first three days.

Virat Kohli wanted quick breakthroughs to put pressure on the opposition and Siraj and Bumrah did just that in the first halfhour, removing Rory Burns (18 off 49 balls) and Zak Crawley (6 off 7 balls) respectively in quick succession.

The extra pace possessed by both did help them as Siraj got one to angle across Burns and the edge was a regulation catch for Pant.

Pant however had to dive to his right to pouch the thick outside edge that came from Crawley’s bat when Bumrah’s delivery straightened after pitching.

Two quick wickets could have put England under pressure but Root decided to take the aggressive route as he started with a streaky boundary with an open bat face past gully.

In the very next over from Siraj, he crunched one through covers and the third boundary was a whip past mid-wicket followed by another cover drive.

Mohammed Shami failed to find his rhythm during the morning session as he was taken apart by Root.

Root did survive a leg-before appeal after a delivery from Jadeja skid through and found him on the backfoot.

Although India reviewed the appeal, it was evident that the ball had not pitched in line of stumps and thus English captain had nothing to worry.

Brief Scores: England 183 and 235 for 5 (Joe Root 96 batting, Dom Sibley 28, Mohammed Siraj 2/69, Jasprit Bumrah 2/55, Shardul Thakur 1/23). India 1st Innings: 278.